Jhana in Theravada

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Jhana (Pāli) is a meditative state of profound stillness and concentration in which the mind becomes fully immersed and absorbed in the chosen object of attention[1]. This was the state where the Buddha himself had entered during the period of his own quest for enlightenment[2] . The Buddha is constantly seen in the suttas encouraging his disciples to develop jhana as a way of gaining enlightenment[3][4]. Just before his passing away the Buddha entered the jhanas in direct and reverse order, and the passing away itself took place after rising from the fourth jhana[5].

Contents

[edit] Preliminary Stage

The Buddha explains Right Concentration as the four jhanas. According to Pali commentary there are certain stages in attainment that the meditator reach before entering into jhana, the stage is called upacara-samadhi (Access/Neighbourhood Concentration). The overcoming of the Five Hindrances (sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and doubt), marked the entries into access concentration. Access concentration is an unstable state where the mind become well concentrated on an object but it is still not yet a state of full concentration (jhana). The difference is in full concentration, where certain factors become strengthened to such a degree that they bring about a quantum shift in the level of consciousness, they actually shift the mind to different level of consciousness, and it no longer functions on the ordinary sensory level.

At the state of access concentration, some meditators may experience vivid mental image (Pali: nimitta), which is similar to a vivid dream (as vividly as if seen by the eye), but in this case the meditator is fully aware and conscious that they are seeing mental images. Different meditators will experience different mental images, some meditators may not experience any mental images at all. The same meditator doing multiple meditation sessions may experience different mental images for each session. The mental image may be pleasant, scary, disgusting, shocking or neutral. At this stage, the meditator must ignore the mental images and should continue their concentration.

As the concentration become stronger, the feeling of breathing and the feeling of having a physical body will be completely disappear leaving only pure awareness. At this stage the inexperienced meditator will usually become afraid thinking that they are going to die if they continue the concentration because the feeling of breathing and the feeling of having a physical body has completely disappeared, at this stage the meditator should not be afraid and should continue their concentration in order to reach full concentration (jhana).

[edit] Stages of Jhana

There are 4 stages of deep concentration which are called the Rupa Jhana (Fine-material Jhana):

  1. First Jhana - To attain this jhana, the meditator must fix his mind on the meditation object to reduce and eliminate the lower mental qualities which is called the five hindrances (sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and doubt) and promote the growth of five jhana factors (applied/directed thought, sustained thought, rapture, happiness and one pointedness). In this stage, bliss appears. Only the subtlest of mental movement remains. The ability to form unwholesome intentions ceases.
  2. Second Jhana - To attain this jhana, the meditator must reduce and eliminate the two initial factors of the first jhana itself (applied/directed thought and sustained thought), the three remaining jhana factors still possessed by the meditator are the rapture, happiness and one-pointedness. In this stage, all mental movement utterly ceases. There is only bliss. The ability to form wholesome intentions cease as well. Acquires complete confidence.
  3. Third Jhana - To attain this jhana, the meditator must reduce and eliminate the third initial factor of the first jhana itself (rapture), the two remaining jhana factors still possessed by the meditator are the happiness and one-pointedness. Three additional components are possessed by the meditator (equanimity, mindfulness and discernment).
  4. Fourth Jhana - To attain this jhana, the meditator must reduce and eliminate the fourth initial factor of the first jhana itself (happiness) and replace it with another jhana factor (equanimity/neutral feeling), the two remaining jhana factors still possessed by the meditator are the neutral feeling and one-pointedness. In this stage, the meditator enters a state of supreme purity, indifference to everything, and pure consciousness.

Beyond the four jhana lie four higher attainments in the scale of concentration, usually referred as the Arupa Jhana (Immaterial/formless Jhana). The immaterial jhanas are designated as:

  1. Dimension of the infinitude of space.
  2. Dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.
  3. Dimension of nothingness.
  4. Dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

[edit] Mastering the Jhana

A meditator should first master the lower jhana, before they can go into the higher jhana. There are five ways of mastering the jhana:

  1. Mastery in adverting is the ability to advert to the jhana factors one by one after emerging from the jhana, wherever he wants, whenever he wants, and for as long as he wants.
  2. Mastery in attaining is the ability to enter upon jhana quickly.
  3. Mastery in resolving the ability to remain in the jhana for exactly the pre-determined length of time.
  4. Mastery in emerging the ability to emerge from jhana quickly without difficulty,
  5. Mastery in reviewing the ability to review the jhana and its factors with retrospective knowledge immediately after adverting to them.

[edit] Usage of the Jhana

The meditator uses the jhana state to strengthen and sharpen the mind, in order to investigate the true nature of phenomena (dhamma) and to gain higher knowledge in the state of access concentration. The longer the meditator stays in the state of jhana the sharper and powerful the mind becomes. The jhana will cause the Five Hindrances to be suppressed for days.

After coming out from the state of jhana, the meditator will be in the state of post-jhana access concentration. This post-jhana state of access concentration will have the qualities of being certain, long-lasting and much more stable. This is where the job of investigation and analysis of the true nature of phenomena start. It is also where deep insight into the characteristics of impermanence, suffering and not-self arises. The meditator can experience these truths, which lie at the heart of the Buddha's teachings, through direct experience.

As the Five Hindrances will be suppressed for days, after entering jhana. The meditator will feel perfectly clear, mindful, full of compassion, peaceful and light after the meditation session. This may cause some meditator to mistakenly assume that they have gained Enlightenment.

The jhana state cannot by itself lead to Enlightenment as it is only suppresses the defilements. Meditator must use the jhana state as an instrument for developing wisdom by cultivating insight and use it to penetrate the true nature of phenomena through direct cognition, which will lead to cutting off the defilements, fathoms the Four Noble Truths and Enlightement.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jhana. Access to Insight. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  2. ^ A Sketch of the Buddha's Life. Access to Insight. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  3. ^ The Jhanas. Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
  4. ^ In the Pali Canon, the instruction on jhana is contained in suttas MN119, AN 1.16, MN118, MN4, MN19, MN36, MN43,MN45, MN64, MN65, MN66, MN76, MN77, MN78, MN79, MN85, MN105, MN107, MN108, MN119, MN125, MN138, MN152, AN2.2, AN3.6, AN3.7, AN3.8, DN1, DN2, MN94, MN100, MN101, MN111, MN112, MN122, MN139 & MN141. This list is not exhaustive.
  5. ^ Maha-parinibbana Sutta. Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.

[edit] External links